3rd December

Hark, the Herald Angels sing

‘Mild he lays His glory by, born that we may no longer die.’

Written by Janet Ketteringham

The lyrics of this carol were written by Charles Wesley and George Whitefield in 1739 and is based on two verses in the Gospel of Luke chapter 2 … Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to His people on earth.”

Then, to fit these lyrics, about a hundred years later William Cummings adapted a Mendelssohn cantata and we were gifted a great and beloved Christmas carol, sung with joy and gusto around the world each Christmas.

And lyrics give us a vivid image of glory, majesty, joy, a party in heaven – this King, this Saviour will redeem mankind, will renew creation, will bring peace to earth. And how will this be done? With panoply? With show? With arms? With might?

Wesley writes in the third verse the line Mild, He lays His glory by and we realise that Christ on earth really is a vulnerable, ordinary baby. He will be a son, a boy, a young man, a teacher, the greatest teacher the world has known. But never an emperor, never a president, never a king on earth.

Mild – Wesley’s great and perfect descriptive word. Mild: the huge wealth and power and status God Come To Earth could command all put aside, all simply and totally rejected. His focus is making us realise and commit to loving God and loving our neighbour. There would be no giving out favours to mates, no choosing palaces to swan about in, no ordering folk to kneel and bow, but showing, healing and teaching, however exasperating and pig-headed people are.

Mild, He lays His glory by. The greatest gift of all.